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8/3/2019 Silwan - The Story Behind the Tourist Site
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Wadi Hilwah Inormation Center
The Story Behind
the Tourist Site
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in the heart o Wadi Hilwah neighborhood as ancient Jerusa-
lem, and called it City o David.
Ever since, many archaeologists o dierent nationalities have
conducted excavations in the area. The locals never initiated
the excavations, but they were always conducted with respect
or them, and the residents enjoyed the visits o tourists. In the
70s Israeli archaeologists began to excavate in Wadi Hilwah,
led by the renowned Pro. Yigal Shilo.
Wadi Hilwah 1967 - 1987
Soon ater the 1967 War, Israel ormally annexed East Jerusalem
into the municipal borders o Jerusalem. Silwan grew rapidly
and welcomed many Palestinian reugees rom the 48 and 67
wars. However, development in Palestinian neighborhoods in
East Jerusalem was little compared to in other parts o the city.
Wadi Hilwah in the 70s, looking from Shiloah/Silwan Pool
Once upon a time, where youre standing
right now, there was a small valley called
Wadi Hilwah, part o the large Silwan village.
Hilwah was the wie o the mukhtarSiyam.
She was killed during armed clashes in the
valley. Beore her death, the valley was
called Wadi Al-Nabah, Valley o Wails. They say that at nights
one could hear among the hedges o cactuses the wails o the
innocent girl who was viciously murdered by her brother.
The Muslim village o Silwan started to develop in the 16th
century. The village was amous or its quality agricultural pro-
duce, and served as a resting point on the way to the old city.
Today the village counts 55,000 people. 5,500 live in Wadi
Hilwah neighborhood, which lies on the Old Citys southern
slopes. Here, evidently, is where ancient Jerusalem was estab-
lished. The Gihon Spring (Ein Silwan) is the reason why peo-
ple settled on the spur more than 5000 years ago and built the
city which became holy to the three monotheistic religions.
Many cultures let their mark on the spurs slopes and valleys
that set the boundaries o Wadi Hilwah: the Canaanites, who
established the city and built the impressive underground wa-
ter system; the Judeans, who expanded the city; the Assyrians,
who besieged it; the Babylonians, who destroyed it and ban-
ished its people; the Persians; the Greeks, the heralds o Hel-
lenism; the Romans; the Byzantines; and nally the Muslims,
who ruled the city or 1300 years.
In the 20th century, the villagers lived under our dierent
rules: Ottoman, British, Jordanian, and, since 1967, Israeli, un-
der which the Palestinian residents have no citizenship a vul-
nerable and dangerous status.
Archaeology
Archaeological excavations in Wadi Hilwah
started during the late Ottoman rule. Charles
Warren discovered the underground water
system at the close o the 19th century (a site
known as Warrens Shat), identied the site
Silwan Village - Wadi Hilwah neighborhood is seen on the slopes of
the Old City
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In the 80s, the young residents rustration, ear and resentment
caused by the state o Israel translated into their participation in
the frst Intiada, in which Silwan became known or its strong
involvement. This marked the end o the age o innocence.
The Israeli Settlement in Silwan
In the beginning o the 90s, a private organization called Elad
(El Ir-David, To City o David) started to operate in the village.
In Elads mission statement it is written that its mission is to
strengthen the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, and this in the
means o tours, guidance, populating, and publishing mate-
rial. In practice, Elad everishly worked to gain ownership o
houses and lands in the village and particularly in Wadi Hilwah
neighborhood.
Guard booth above a settlement house, in the heart of Wadi Hilwah
neighborhood
Nevertheless, the 70s and the beginning o the 80s were also a
period o hope or the village, and especially or the residents o
Wadi Hilwah neighborhood, which was the closest to the old
city walls. The village was teeming with visitors. The archae-
ology attracted many tourists, who the residents welcomed
heartily: with them came somewhat nancial stability.
In Haj Musa Hamada Siyams Coeehouse (today, only the en-
trance sign is let...) one could oten nd local Palestinian resi-
dents, Israeli archaeologists and tourists sitting together. Also,
at that time several young Israelis lived in the village and had
good neighborly relationships with the Palestinians.
The entrance sign of Haj Musa Hamada Siyams coffeehouse
Building is Not Permitted!
During the 80s, the residents started to realize that their status
as non-citizens was problematic. The municipality did not in-
vest in the development o East Jerusalem, in the improvement
o the education system, or in the municipal planning o East
Jerusalem. Silwan was neglected. Most o the young residentshad to take low-paying jobs. The once pastoral village sunk
into poverty and neglect. Concerning construction, since 1967,
not a single building plan has been approved in Wadi Hilwah.
This means that the residents cannot build or expand their
homes. As amilies grew, the residents were compelled to build
without permits. Hundreds o amilies ound themselves in an
impossible situation. In addition to poverty, a decient edu-
cation system and poor physical inrastructure, the state also
turned the residents into criminals who had to pay hundreds
o thousands o Shekels in nes, and issued demolition orders
to many homes.
activestills.org
activestills.org
A recently demolished house in Silwan
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In the rst years, Elad gained control on several additional
properties in dierent means:
1. Properties were located by Elad and declared Absentee Prop-
erty according to adavits written by Elads people. Then
they were conscated and transerred to Elad without a tender
and in return or minimal ees. For instance, Abbasis house
was transerred this way. The court ruled that the house was
declared absentee property based on a perjured adavit.
2. Properties owned by the Jewish National Fund beore 1948
were transerred to Elad without a tender and in return or
minimal payment.
3. Purchasing o properties rom local residents using middle-
men. Residents who knew these men, say that they have used
dubious means and pressure in order to achieve the deal.
A special report (Klogman) rom 1992 that was commissioned
by the state to investigate the methods o property-transer
in East Jerusalem, showed that some o the means to transer
properties to the hands o settler organizations who operated
in East Jerusalem were ineligible.
By the mid-90s, Elad had managed to transer to its control
only several properties. The turning point was in 1997, and is
explained in the next section.
Ghozlans house - the Ghozlan family, who had rented the house for
decades, was removed as the JNF rented it to Elad instead
The Story of a House
One o the rst houses Elad entered was Musa Abbasis house.
The house lies next to the amous Warrens Shat. Elads
ounder, David Beeri, impersonated a tourist guide and gained
Abbasis trust by bringing groups o tourists to his house. Resi-
dents riends o Abbasi remember that Abbasi saw in David
Beeri, who brought tourists to purchase his lemons, a true
riend. Beeri collected inormation about the property in his
visits and used it in a legal procedure to declare most o Ab-
basis house Absentee Property. This means that the legal
owner lives in an enemy state and that, according to the Absen-
tee Property Law, the state o Israel can conscate the property
without compensation. It appears a contract was signed be-
tween the state and Elad without a tender and without Abbasis
knowledge, and so, in the dead o night in October 1991, Elads
people entered the house and removed Musa and his amily.
Elads people in Abbasis house after the takeover, October 1991
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Many o the excavations are done rapidly and in a manner that
archaeologists in Israel and abroad fnd unacceptable. In some
sites archaeological strata have been removed with no public
discussion: in Elad-sponsored excavations next to the old city
walls, skeletons were removed by the Antiquities Authority
rom tombs rom the Muslim period without the Ministry o
Religion being notifed, according to the Haaretz newspaper;
this is ag ainst the regulations o the Antiquities Authority itsel.
Archaeological excavations are also
planned and carried out beneath pri-
vate residences without the residents
being consulted. In the last couple o
years, parts o houses have collapsed,
land has subsided and roads have caved
in. In one case, the walls o a kindergar-
ten collapsed next to an excavation. As
a result the municipality closed-o two
rooms in the kindergarten but oered no alternative or the
children. More encouragingly, one o the lateral diggings was
temporarily stopped as a result o the residents petition to the
Israeli High Court.
In contrast to the excavations o the 70s, led by Pro. Shilo,
which were part o the village and to its benet, todays excava-
tions are done under a mantle o heavy security: armed guards,
24-7 surveillance cameras, ences and locks.
Dozens of security cameras are installed in the neighborhood - some
intrude on the residents privacy
Turning Point
In 1997, Elad received rom the Israeli Land Administration the
responsibility or the preservation and maintenance o City o
David national park, which lies in the heart o Wadi Hilwah
neighborhood, the internationally signicant site o ancient
Jerusalem. Perhaps that is why the Israeli Antiquities Author-
ity opposed handing responsibility to Elad, a private body with
a clear political agenda or the area. Following an appeal to the
Israeli High Court, the contract with Elad was annulled. How-
ever, the contract was reenacted in 2002 by the Israeli Parks and
Nature Authority. Surprisingly, the Antiquities Authority did
not oppose the move in its second round.
Archaeology in Elads Era
Since Elad received responsibility or the national parks man-
agement, the rate o archaeological excavations has doubled
and tripled. Mobilizing millions o dollars, Elad initiates many
controversial excavations that are carried out by the Antiquities
Authority. It is important to understand that almost all excava-
tions in Wadi Hilwah are dened as salvage excavations.
In contrast to excavations licensed and executed by academic
institutes, salvage excavations are authorized by an internal
process o the Antiquities Authority in order to rescue and doc-
ument ndings beore uture construction. In Wadi Hilwah,
however, building is completely prohibited, and thereore, it
is not clear under which provision and authority these salvage
excavations are carried out.
Excavations are conducted behind fences, security and curtains, which
stress the estrangement between the residents and the archaeology in
the village.
activestills.org
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Wadi Hilawhs streets are closed off during Jewish holidays
In contrast, settlers houses in Silwan are strongly connected
to the tourist site. Security arrangements are shared between
settlers and site, and tours sometimes include private settlers
compounds. However unintentionally, visitors to the City o
David have become an active part o the settlement o East Je-
rusalem in the eyes o the local residents.
Soldiers enter a settlers compound as par t of their tour in City of David
History as Told by Elad
The City o David is one o the most amous tourist sites in Is-
rael. More than 400,000 tourists visit the site annually, with
many Israeli students and thousands o IDF soldiers among
them. A percipient tourist will probably notice that the ocial
guides ocus almost exclusively on the King David and Jewish
periods. Poor signposting in the national park tells the Jewish
narrative o Jerusalem while neglecting the stories o many
other cultures whose part in the citys history is no less signi-
cant than the Jewish one.
It is worth examining the decision to design an important na-
tional park in the context o a Jewish heritage while ignoring
all other cultures. Ironically, ndings that prove unequivocally
the existence o King David and his city remain to be ound. A
balanced history would tell a story that relates to most o the
worlds population: Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Such a multi-cultural narrative o the chronicles o Jerusalem
might encourage tolerance and reconciliation in a split and con-
tested Jerusalem. Instead, today the site is used by Elad as an
educative tool to promote an agenda o exclusively Jewish set-
tlement.
A Visit to a National Park or a Settlement?
The common visitor to the City o David begins his tour on
cobbled foors in a closed compound guarded by armed person-
nel. The tour continues into a closed construction that in part
emulates a tunnel. In this ashion the tourist is denied contact
with Silwan, a lively Palestinian village with a pastoral past and
a troublesome present. Village lie - and the residents - are con-cealed rom the visitors as i they have no signicance. From
the site guide or the lm, the tourist learns that he is in the his-
torical City o David.
The parks design represents a choice to value the interests o
the past over those o the present inhabitants. The separation
between the residents and the tourists osters eelings o alien-
ation and bitterness in the locals. The residents have become
a disturbing element in the City o David oreigners in their
own village.
activestills.org
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Today the Jewish settlement in Silwan constitutes around 5%
o the population o Wadi Hilwah. However, the presence
o these 400 people is endangering the way o lie o Wadi
Hilwahs residents. While on the one hand many o their hous-
es are slated or demolition by the municipality, on the other
Elad initiates numerous projects that limit their living space to
urther its agenda o changing the demographic reality in Wadi
Hilwah. Residents eel unwanted and as i they are being sys-
tematically expelled rom their homes in the name o archaeol-
ogy, history and Elads crusade or Jewish settlement.
Behind the scenes o the tourist site live people. They should be
seen, heard and helped to oppose the injustices they ace.
The residents o Wadi Hilwah ask the people o Israel and the
world to support their struggle or the right to live in their vil-lage as part o a multi-cultural Jerusalem based on principles o
equality and peace.
National Park: Private Property!
Elads stewardship o the national park has heralded a new era
o change in the neighborhood. Ater decades o neglect, the
authorities have started a project o regeneration undertaken
without the consultation o local people. The work is carried
out at the expense o the locals quality o lie and living space.
Public and private spaces used by residents or hundreds o
years have been blocked o and incorporated into the national
park, and the municipality wishes to expropriate those remain-
ing or public needs. And what are the public needs according
to the Jerusalem municipality, in a neighborhood where there
are no playgrounds, no public gardens, no sport acilities, ew
classrooms and no clinics? Answer: parking lots or the sites
visitors.
The neighborhood streets have also been suddenly changing
their names: Wadi Hilwah street is now City o David As-
cent. Dozens o security cameras and armed guards have been
installed in the streets and alleys. Palestinian residents have no
protection rom the settlers activity in the neighborhood, and
episodes o increasing violence occur between residents and
guards who see themselves as law-enorcers.
An armed guard walks in Wadi Hilwah
activestills.org
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Wadi Hilwah Information Center - Silwan
www.silwanic.net
Additional InformationHuman Rights in East Jerusalem
www.acri.org.il/pdf/eastjer2009.pdf
Alternative Archaeological Tours in Silwan
www.alt-arch.org
Video Articles
ELAD co-funds municipal construction plans in East Jerusalem
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNS6k-TUWzc
Digging for Trouble - Israel/Palestine
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNAJCHxa7w
Articles
Archaeology in Jerusalem 1967 - 2008
alt-arch.org/jerusalem.php
Parks Fortify Israels Claim to Jerusalem
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/world/middleeast/10jerusalem.html?_r=2
Court orders state to explain construction in Jerusalems Holy Basin
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1036990.html
Islamic-era skeletons disappeared from Elad-sponsored dig
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/988803.html
Elad accused of withholding donor information
www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=926546City of David tunnel excavation proceeds without proper permit
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/821774.html
Digging too deep?
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204214000979&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Land Lords (concerning the Absentee Property Act) news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=530047
The very eye of the storm
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1076058.html
New Tensions in Jerusalems Arab Neighborhoods
www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/world/middleeast/07jerusalem.html?_r=2&hp
What Lies Beneath
www.thenation.com/doc/20080818/hoffman
Archaeologists for Hire
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/01/archaeologistsforhire
A Separate Peace
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/973870.html